This invention is directed to a frame for displaying objects. More particularly, the invention is directed to a way of supporting the frame in different orientations so that the object in the frame can be viewed from the desired orientation. Principally the invention is directed to frames in which pictures will be displayed and more particularly to low cost plastic frames.
The particular frame of this invention is designed to rest on a support surface as opposed to a frame that is hung on a wall. In the past, frames that have been designed to rest on a support surface such as a desk or a table had a support to maintain the frame in a desired orientation. Usually this support is a portion of the back of the frame that is hingedly connected to the frame. The hinge member can be pivoted away from the back of the frame to support for the frame in the desired orientation. In recent years plastic has been used as a frame material and in particular transparent plastic. The plastic material can be easily shaped to provide a low cost frame that can be used for displaying pictures. However, it is very difficult to incorporate a hinged support section in the back of a plastic material to provide a support that will maintain the frame at the proper orientation when the frame is positioned on a desk or a table. It is very difficult to incorporate a hinged member into a frame that is made of a hard plastic material. On some platic frames a portion of the back plate of the frame pivot out from the frame to provide the support member. In these applications the plastic material acts as the hinge mechanism for the support member. However, it is difficult to build such a plastic hinge into the material and such hinges can be broken if used improperly.
Other plastic frame manufacturers have developed a support pedestal upon which the frame could be rested to provide support when the frame was used on a desk top or a table. The support pedestal is usually a plastic L-shaped member that is bulky and makes it difficult to package the frame in a compact package that can be easily shipped and displayed in a store.
Accordingly, there is a need in the industry to provide a low cost plastic picture frame having a support member that will allow the frame to be utilized on a desk or a table where its support member can be easily packaged with the frame.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved picture frame.
It is an object of the invention to provide a picture frame with a removable support member that can be positioned flat against the back of the picture frame to facilitate packaging of the frame.
These and other objects of the invention form a review of the following detailed description of the invention.